KASHIMA - FC Seoul secured their place in the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League by defeating 10-man Kashima Antlers 5-4 on penalties after a thrilling encounter had finished 2-2 in normal time.

Park Yong-ho scored the decisive spot kick to send the Koreans through as the hosts succumbed to their first defeat at Kashima Stadium in this year’s ACL.

The hosts had made the ideal start when an attempted clearance from a Seoul defender struck the head of Ki Sung-yeung and the ball fell kindly for Shinzoh Koroki, who broke clear of the defence before sliding a shot beyond the goalkeeper’s right and into the back of the net.

Seoul surged forward in an effort to create an immediate response and almost got it when Ki's free-kick was headed goalwards from point-blank range by Kim Chi-gon but goalkeeper Hitoshi Sogahata was equal to the effort and palmed the ball away for a corner.

But the visitors pulled themselves level in the 22nd minute when defenders Atsuto Uchida and Daiki Iwamasa went to clear a low cross at the same time but only succeeded in deflecting the ball into the path of Lee Seung-yeoul, who had time to pick his spot beyond Sogahata.

The Koreans were then denied the lead a minute later when Masahiko Inoha cleared Dejan Damjanovic’s goalbound shot off the line while the woodwork was next to frustrate them on the half-hour mark when Ki’s cross was headed onto the bar by Park Yong-ho.

The half-time whistle came as a welcome reprieve for the hosts but they returned to the field in the second-half in determined mood and it took them just five minutes to restore their lead when Iwamasa’s downward header was pushed over the bar by Kim Ho-jun and from the resulting corner Takeshi Aoki rose to head home at the far post.

But just as Kashima had appeared to have taken control of the game they were dealt a blow shortly before the hour-mark when skipper Mitsuo Ogasawara was shown his second yellow card after pulling back a Seoul player.

That swung the game back the way of the visitors and, after pressurising the Kashima defence, they drew level in the 77th minute when they were awarded a free kick 25 yards from goal and Ki stepped up to strike a sublime effort into the back of the net.

The visitors dominated possession from then on and created a number of chances but Kashima defended well to force extra time.

With tired legs on both sides, chances were sparse in the additional period with Koji Nakata coming closest for either side when he smashed a header against the crossbar in the 118th minute.

As a result, penalties ensued and though Kashima had recovered from missing their first two to force sudden death, Park slotted home the decisive spot-kick to send Seoul through.